Elden Ring was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and the gaming community is eager to get its hands on the expansion. Shadow of the Erdtree is said to be the one and only DLC for the base game and details about it hint at a worthy follow-up in terms of content.
The newest trailer just dropped and blew the collective minds of every Soulslike fan and they have already started sharing theories about it. While the expansion is scheduled to release later this year, anything is up for grabs and some of these ideas could potentially be canon.
The Gaming Community is Sharing Theories About the Elden Ring DLC
The base game was already massive in scale, but director Hidetaka Miyazaki promises that the Shadow of the Erdtree will be on an equal footing. The gaming community will enter The Land of the Shadow and it is a completely new region for players to wander and explore. The official trailer dropped players were able to come up with bizarre theories that could have some bearing given how it all fits with what the preview has shown.
All those skinned corpses and the trailer saying Gold and Shadow were born makes me think that the Godskin Hunts happened in the Land of Shadow, since we don't really have a record of it in the Lands Between. Not to mention the sky is gloaming in this scene… pic.twitter.com/nsD71egdaf
— Ziostorm (@Ziostorm1) May 21, 2024
The developers took a different approach while creating this specific game, FromSoftware usually prioritizes the combat and gameplay then the narrative comes next. For this project, Miyazaki collaborated with George R. R Martin to pen the lore and give the studio enough material to work with but some of it could not fit and was later used for the expansion.
Miyazaki did spill some details regarding the omission of certain characters like Messmer and promised it would be addressed in the DLC. The developers had to cut corners to release the base game without having players feel overwhelmed. One fan theorized that the new area could be the hunting grounds for the Godskin Hunts and the mystery behind the Black Blade will be answered.
For anyone who knows the lore of Elden Ring, they’ll be well-versed in the Godskin Apostles and what this could mean for the plot of Shadow of the Erdtree. It also makes too much sense with Messmer himself being eradicated from the lore up until this point, which is nigh unheard of in a FromSoft title, with Miyazaki almost always leaving breadcrumbs for fans to uncover for even the smallest of characters.
Shadow of the Erdtree Could Amplify the Elden Ring Experience
Miyazaki knows how to rattle cages and get the gaming community excited. The director teased that this expansion will have connections to characters seen in the base game like Miquella. The connective thread between The Land of Shadow and the Godskin Apostles will pique the interest of the fans and will encourage them to uncover the mystery themselves.
Hidetaka Miyazaki Refuses to Answer 1 Shadow of the Erdtree for Fear of Being Accused of Lying Again
FromSoftware is aware of the appeal and will not drop the ball on this expansion. The hype that was built up from the previous year was all warranted and Miyazaki means to do right by the fans and reveal the truth behind the black flame.
The Soulslike genre inspired players to be thoughtful and creative. Miyazaki knows how to rile up the community with his vague answers and nurtured the community through his fragmented story-telling which became a staple of his. The story behind the Apostles being stretched into the expansion is a clever move by the studio.
The studio decided to only have one expansion and the developers did not hold back and ensured that it would be a worthy successor. Fans can expect Miyazaki and his team to throw the entire kitchen sink of removed content from the base game and make the most of it.
What are your theories about the Elden Ring DLC? Let us know in the comments section below!
